Epilepsy Facts, Myths and Info on Seizures

Epilepsy is a category of neurological disorder in which the nerve cells activity interrupted causing seizures, strange behavior, emotions, loss of consciousness and sensations. Epilepsy is not a mental illness or a mental obstruction but sometimes severe seizures may be a cause of brain damage. Genetics also play a role in the development of epilepsy. Others factors that may be involve in the development are brain tumors, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack and strokes.

About 22 million people are suffering from epilepsy from 1990 to 2013 the death rate is up and become 112,000 to 116,000. Particularly 80% of cases take place in developing countries. About 10% of a solo person has baseless seizures. In United States 1 of 26 people have develop epilepsy.

6 Epilepsy Myths and Their Facts

Myth#1: Epilepsy is a transmittable disease.

Fact: Epilepsy is not a transmittable disease just like high blood pressure and diabetes it cannot vary from person to person. If an epileptic person comes in contact with a normal person, the normal one will never grab epilepsy.

Myth#2: When a person having epilepsy call emergency.

Fact: The epilepsy last in more than 5 minutes and it reshow one after another. It is not necessary to call an ambulance.

Myth#3: Epilepsy has effects on intelligence.

Fact: Epilepsy never causes lower intelligence but frequent seizures can originates difficulty in learning. Many of the brilliant and talented people have epilepsy. The people with epilepsy have the same intelligence as the normal ones.

Myth#4: People with epilepsy can’t work and are incapacitated.

Fact: The people with severe seizures are not able to complete their task and have difficulties in work. But the patients with mild to moderate epilepsy have the normal abilities as the normal ones. The epileptic people are able to concentrate and complete their tasks and are found in every arena of life.

Myth#5: People can’t die from epilepsy

Facts: Epilepsy is nevertheless a severe disease that can cause deaths. Seizures cause 22,000 to 42,000 deaths in United States each year.

Myth#6: Epilepsy only happens in children.

Fact: Epilepsy can take place in the people over the age of almost 65 as frequently as in the children of the ages of 10 and under 10. Epilepsy in the elder people can cause the after effects on health like stroke, many heart diseases and head injury.

An Overview on Seizures

Seizures are an unexpected outpouring of electrical activity in the brain due to composite chemical changes. The brain cells provoked or stop the other brain cells from sending messages. At the time of seizures the brain cells activity become too fast or too slow that causes imbalance between excited and stopping activity. Seizure is not considered as a disease it is the symptom of many other health problems. Seizure is a generic term used in place of epilepsy. Seizure disorder is used to describe any disorder that have a symptom of seizures.

Generally seizures are of two types one is primary generalized seizures and the other is partial seizures. In primary generalized seizures both the parts of the brain are involve with an electrical discharge. Partial seizures are those seizures involves one limited area of the brain with an elecrical dischareg, they may be due to tumors head and brain injurt, stroke etc.

Epilepsy Life Expectancy

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that is associated with repeated seizures. But the quality of life in the epileptic patients is a little effected they live a normal life when they comes out of their seizures. The life expectancy in the newly diagnosed patients is normal but if the surgeries and medications terminated to work the life expectancy rate become lower. Epilepsy is not related with sudden death. It may be possible to stop taking medication but it may gamble on the age and the type.